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is there problem fray check can’t solve?

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A friend of mine asked me to hem a pair of jeans for her. Last time I did this, I didn’t have to take them up too much, and I just tacked the extra material to the inside seam.

This pair needed to be taken up more than that, and there was quite a bit of denim leftover, making a giant cuff on the inside of the leg. My plan was to cut it off and serge the ends to keep it from fraying. When it came to the side seams, my serger had other plans. “No thank you,” it politely said as the denim refused to let go of the needle.

So I fell back on my tried and true method for raw edges: fray check. It feels a little stiff now, but I bet after one washing it will soften up.

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finished: twirly skirt

twirly skirt mending

This week’s Finished on Friday project was just a little bit of mending. I received this skirt from a friend. It didn’t need that much work: just hem the raw edge and sew a button on for the adjustable elastic. I wish I would have done it sooner, though. My daughter LOVES it. She wore it two days in a row and would have worn it a third if I had let her.

Not much else noteworthy out of The Big To-do Pile, but I’m patting myself on the back for keeping my weekly project goal.

What did you finish this week?

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wardrobe refashion: simple knit jersey skirt hem

wardrobe refashion hem jersey skirt easy

So far this has been the easiest refashion ever. The original skirt was ankle length and had these weird suspender-like ties sewn inside the waist. I’m leaving the bottom edge unfinished to see if it adds a little interest to the plainness of the solid, straight style.

wardrobe refashion hem jersey skirt easy

Just in case it doesn’t turn out as I hope, I left myself an inch at the bottom to clean up and hem. So the top chalk line is where I want it to hit my leg and the bottom chalk line is my cut line. I simply cut at the bottom line and put it on to wear. That’s it. Oh, and I snipped those silly suspender things off.

I’ll keep you posted how the edge turns out after a few washes and if I decide to do a clean hem instead.

thrifted: another 99 cent sale skirt transformation

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that’s how i roll

Another little Mother’s Day gift for me: a rolled hem foot. The other night I sat down to make some tea towels and expected to have a whole stack to show you. I didn’t realize there would be such a learning curve! It was like learning to use my machine all over again. I think I’ve got the sides down, but the corners are still giving me a little bit of trouble. So, here’s my one tea towel.

tea towel

I found this fabric in my stash while I was hunting for something else. It was originally for a sewing machine cover, but when I washed it, it got super soft. It feels like a linen/cotton blend, but I’m pretty sure it’s just cotton. The colors match my kitchen perfectly. Check out those beautiful hems!

tea towel

I couldn’t have gotten this far without this awesome tutorial from the Sewing Divas. I think once I get the hang of it, this little foot is going to be a big time saver for me!

stash: Having the right tool for the job can make life so much easier. It will pay for itself in productivity.